Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells Remain Viable and Metabolically Active Following Needle Passage.
Kentaro Onishi, Dakota L Jones, Scott M Riester and 7 others
PMID 26826615WHAT IT FOUND
Adipose-derived stem cells stayed viable and active after passing through 18- or 30-gauge needles at a constant flow rate.
This is a bench study, not evidence that stem-cell injections improve patient outcomes.
Key findings
01There was no statistically significant difference in cell counts among the three injection conditions immediately after simulated injection or on days 1 and 4.
02Mitochondrial metabolic activity was similar across the injection conditions at days 1 and 4.
03The cells showed a robust early stress and cytoprotective gene-expression response that subsided by day 1, without significant differences among injection groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study tested cells outside the body, so it cannot show that stem-cell injections are safe or effective in patients. The cells came from a single donor, so the result may not apply to other donors or patients. A single cell concentration was tested, so more concentrated suspensions may behave differently. The flow rate was controlled by a pump, while manual injections can vary with operator force and fatigue. The needles used were shorter than needles sometimes used for deep shoulder, hip, or spine injections. The study did not test injection into joint tissue or other body spaces, so tissue resistance and pressure were not tested. No patient outcomes such as pain or function were measured.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as showing that stem-cell injections help patients with osteoarthritis. It tested cells in a syringe pump, not people, and it did not assess pain or function.